


Up in Flames

by sodypop97



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Arson, F/F, arsonist!Celes, firefighter!Kirigiri, teen right now for lawbreaking, will change to mature eventually ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-03 11:54:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1743794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodypop97/pseuds/sodypop97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Celestia Ludenberg is an arsonist. Kyouko Kirigiri is a firefighter. Of course they're going to fall in love.</p><p>*I highly recommend you read this after finishing Dangan Ronpa for Maximum Appreciation.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a oneshot to make up for the fact that I promised a multi chapter celegiri fic many months ago which has been coming along realLY slowly. But it got longer than anticipated. yay
> 
> Updates will probably be within a week of each other
> 
> Also, a quick apology if any of my writing regarding firefighting is incorrect. Please correct me if there's an error!
> 
> I hope you like it!

The flames of the burning house danced against the last red bit of sun before it ducked behind the horizon completely. Celestia Ludenberg, recently retired high-stakes gambler, sat on the rooftop of a building a little bit away and watched with calm pleasure. Having amassed a large amount of money from her previous gambling (not to mention a large amount of enemies), Celes found that no one worth going up against wished to try their luck against her anymore. Sore losers, really. However, she had such a sum of cash that she decided she could retire comfortably. But of course, without her gambling career, she felt the ennui all retired people feel. She didn't have much to do nowadays. So she found a new hobby. Arson.

It seemed a bit extreme, but it wasn't as big of a deal to her as it would be to the average person. After all, she had been breaking the law for a living for most of her life already. It was exciting, too, seeing a place go up in flames like that by her own doing. And the whole display was really beautiful at sunset. So what if she just left a family somewhat homeless and maybe endangered a few lives? It wasn't her problem.

At the start, she used to be too nervous and paranoid to stay and watch the fires, sticking with just seeing them on the evening news. But as time and fires passed, she became more comfortable and let herself view firsthand the fires she started. Let's be real here. Celestia Ludenberg never lost a game. There was nothing to be worried about.

Ah, and here come the area's courageous firefighters. Like bulky yellow moths to a flame. She watched them dash into the building, while others hooked hoses up and doused the house with water. The flames were eventually quelled. Firefighters stood back, watching for any rekindling. One in particular caught Celes's eye, as she pulled off her helmet and took off a lavender bandana and wiped the sweat from underneath her similarly colored bangs. She rested her arm around her helmet at her side and spoke to another firefighter. She was quite beautiful, even in such unflattering apparel, but - Celes scoffed - becoming infatuated with a firefighter, aside from being incredibly ironic, would be an unwise thing to do. _That'll never happen._

 

Celes liked to keep her fires to a rough schedule, but never too exact, lest she become predictable. She liked to wait at least five days between fires, watching the news, scouting the next building, waiting for the opportune moment to break in and start the fire. Among other leisurely things. Exactly five days after her previous fire, she sat on another building's rooftop and watched her latest creation. Again she noticed the girl with lilac hair. Summer had come about, and the night was warm. She shucked off her yellow coat with a huff. Celes noticed her toned body, then looked away, blushing, and scolded herself.  _Don't you dare, don't even humor the thought._ But even as she told herself that, her mind wandered to the thought of that body pressed against her-  _THIS IS RIDICULOUS._

Her next fire was earlier. Three days. She couldn't stop thinking about that goddamned firefighter. She was watching again, and finally decided she would get to know this girl, as stupid as the idea was. Perhaps she had a horrible or boring personality. Hopefully. Then this silly infatuation could be over with, thank the heavens. So she waited outside the fire station for when the girl was going to go home, or something. She really didn't know how the shifts worked. Maybe she would make a pizza run. Who the hell knows. Was this creepy?  _Oh god, this is creepy._ How would she react when she saw some gothic lolita girl emerge from the shadows to speak to her?  _She'd spray me with mace, that's how she'd react._ No, no, okay. She'd act like she was taking a nighttime stroll. Okay. Good.

Finally, the girl walked out into the parking lot. Celes made her entrance, leisurely walking past. _Oh god, this is a bad idea._ She sucked in her breath, and prepared to shout a greeting. But her breath caught in her lungs as a hooded man ran past, snatching her purse. Celes shrieked. "COME BACK HERE WITH MY PURSE, YOU SCUMMY BASTARD!!"

He kept running. She ground her teeth. Chasing him would be futile, given her elaborate clothes and delicate build. Then, a voice came from beside her. "Stay right here." The lilac-haired girl sprinted off after him. Celes was stunned as she watched her running figure slowly gain on him. Jesus Christ, that girl could run. They turned a corner, and Celes was left to sit and wonder what was going on.

Eventually, the girl came back into Celes's sight, carrying the purse. "Here you go," she said, setting it gently into her hands.

"Thank you," Oh god. Celes was blushing. She was definitely blushing. "May I request to know your name?"

"Kyouko Kirigiri." Celes took her hand in a dainty handshake. She was wearing leather gloves. A little odd on a summer night. But this was coming from the girl who dressed like she belonged in another century… So never mind.

"Celestia Ludenberg," she replied. "Excuse me, may I take you to lunch?"

Kirigiri looked a little surprised, but not against it. "I'd be flattered."

"How about tomorrow? At noon? I'll pay for everything. It's the least I can do to thank you for your act of heroism."

Kirigiri laughed. "If you insist. Uh, would you like a ride home? In case that creep is still lurking around. I won't question why you were walking around this late at night."

"Thank you very much. And if you must know, I enjoy late night strolls." They walked to her car.

Kirigiri chuckled. "Until you get your purse swiped," She unlocked the doors. "It's not quite a classy ride. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." Although she kind of did. She could call her chauffeur any time now, but… She didn't want to pass this up, to be completely honest. She took a seat in the passenger's side and was relieved to find that the car was fairly clean and trash-free.

Celes directed Kirigiri to her mansion, and thanked her. "Pretty far for a late night stroll," Kirigiri smirked.

"I do have a chauffeur, you know. He drives me to my strolling area," Celes was aware of how rich and entitled she sounded as Kirigiri suppressed a laugh. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow," Celes huffed, and went down the front walk.

"I'm sorry for laughing at your chauffeur." Kirigiri called.

Celes turned around. "I am a benevolent being, and thus accept your apology."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Celes smiled and turned. Once she disappeared into the house, Kirigiri got into her car and drove away with a silly grin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of sexytimes at the end.

The next day at noon, they met for lunch. They sat at a table for two, Celes in her typical loligoth dress and Kirigiri in a white blouse and a high-waisted cranberry skirt (and… leather gloves?). It wasn't too fancy, a comfortable, casual date.

"So, you're a firefighter?" Celes started off after they ordered.

"Yes. I mainly do stuff related to investigating the origins of fires."

"Very interesting. So are the news right, then? Is there an arsonist in our area?" Celes gave her an innocent smile.

"It seems so," Kirigiri looked unperturbed by the question. After all, it was a hot topic. Whew. "We don't really have any leads, though." Double whew. "So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm recently retired, actually. I've come into a large sum of money, so I'm exploring some new hobbies at my leisure."

"Wow, retired at such a young age? That must be nice."

"Are you flattering me, Miss Kirigiri?" Celes tilted her head. "I'm sure we're of a similar age."

Kirigiri gave a sheepish laugh. "I was just making an observation."

"An observation? I'd like to make an observation as well," Celes ran her finger around the brim of her glass. "You look quite beautiful today."

Kirgiri blushed instantly. "Likewise to you. Ah, by the way, you seem to have a very interesting wardrobe. Is this the kind of clothes you wear all the time?"

"Yes. Gothic lolita fashion is a lifestyle."

"That's actually pretty cool." Kirigiri grinned. "And your big curly pigtails. Are they real? Or extensions?"

Celes giggled. "Maybe you'll find out… later."

"You're being quite the flirt," Kirigiri ran a hand through her hair.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"Not in the least. I was just making an observation. Please continue."

They laughed together. It was a successful first date.

 

 They began to spend time together and text each other regularly. Celes enjoyed her presence so much that she almost forgot what a horrible idea this whole relationship was.

7 days had passed since her latest fire. If she stopped now, it would be suspicious in the unlikely event that Kirigiri began to suspect her. But anyway, Celes didn't want to stop in the first place. It was still her favorite "hobby," and, to be frank, Kirigiri looked damn hot when she was working. She'd like to see a lot more of that, thank you very much.  _Heh. That's not too ladylike of me._ She shrugged.

Her phone rang. It was Kirigiri. "Would you like to do something tonight?"

"My apologies, but I'll have to decline," Celes set an empty gas can on the lawn. "I'm a bit busy. Would you like to make plans for tomorrow?" Celes held the phone between her ear and shoulder as she struck a match.

"Sure, um, do you want to meet in the park or something?"

"That would be delightful," Celes smiled as she threw matches into the open windows of the house, then grabbed the can and hastily retreated. "See you then."

 

The next day at the park was sunny. Kirgiri and Celes linked arms, Celes shading herself with a black lace parasol. "Did you hear? There was another fire last night. We're thinking it's the same guy. Or at least hoping. A copycat arson would make things more complicated," Kirigiri said in a light tone.

"I saw the news, yes. Any progress?"

"Not really. The police are talking to possible witnesses and stuff now. Not many results though."

"It must be dangerous, being a firefighter."

"I guess so. Certainly more occupational hazards than an office job."

Celes laughed. "Why did you decide to be one?"

"Hm. It sounds silly, but ever since I was little girl, I was fascinated by the firefighters. While other kids were playing house and secret spies and doctor, I was playing save-the-burning-building. It was always a little annoying for my parents when I would crawl through the halls and try to kick doors open," Kirigiri smiled wistfully. "Then when I was in my early teens, I saw an actual fire. There was an old lady calling for help from a second story window. I got it into my head that saving her myself was a good idea. So I went in. Actually," Kirigiri raised her gloved hands. "I burnt my hands really badly. I'm lucky that was the only major damage aside from a few cuts. But that's why I wear these all the time."

"That's really, I don't know. Cute and heroic at the same time." Celes was happy to hear about Kirigiri's childhood.

"Hey, you, you never told me what exactly you retired from," Kirigiri poked her.

"Mm," Celes weighted her choices. To lie or not to lie? She looked at Kirigiri's light, caring eyes. She didn't want to lie. "I used to be a big time underground gambler. I earned myself the title 'The Queen of Liars,'" she said matter-of-factly.

Kirigiri raised her eyebrows. "I should've guessed it was something like that. You're filthy rich."

"You don't have an issue that I was breaking the law for a living?"

"Well, I don't know. You don't do it anymore, right? It's fine. I'm a firefighter, not some detective," she smiled reassuringly.

Celes smiled back and almost felt guilty for once in her life.

 

Celes was at the site of a fire-to-be.  _Hmmm._ Perhaps a little hint would make this high-stakes game more interesting. Celes was quite fond of Kirigiri. But she was a gambler at heart, and when she had a very good hand, risking it all was her favorite thing to do.  _So let's make a risk._ She took out a card, the Queen of Spades. Something small to start. She dropped the card on the middle of the floor of the room she stood in, away from the gasoline trails. She didn't want it to get too singed. She opened the windows, left the building, threw the matches. Rountine, but a thrilling one.

The next time she saw Kirigiri, she told her a story about a shogi tournament she won. She left shogi pieces at the next fire. Kirigiri was a smart girl. If she didn't figure it out by now...

 

Kirigiri stood in the burning building in disbelief. She knelt down and picked up two shogi pieces. She looked around and found no set or any possible place they could've come from. They were right in the middle of the room. Just the other day Celes had told her a story… And the Queen of Spades she found last time… She jumped up when her team member, Naegi, called out to her. "Now's not a great time to take a break, Kirigiri! Are you alright?"

She slid the shogi pieces into her pocket. "No, I'm fine. A little tired. Let's go."

 

The next time Kirigiri saw Celes was at Celes's house. They had made plans for a movie date, and here they were. Kirigiri hadn't forgotten about the card or the shogi pieces. But she was very, overly willing to believe that Celes had nothing to do with any of this. She was upset with herself for being so weak to her feelings. But for now, she tried not to think about it. She just wanted to sit on this expensive couch and watch movies on this giant, expensive screen with her arms around her girlfriend.

Celes sighed and shifted around to face Kirigiri and kissed her. "Kyouko, dear." Her hands slid down her waist.

Kirigiri hummed in response, ruffling Celes's drill-free hair. Their kisses became deeper, and Celes pressed Kirigiri down onto the couch and straddled her. She rubbed Kirigiri through her yoga pants, then pulled them down. Kirigiri held Celes close, breath hitching into their kisses. Celes lightly dragged her lips along Kirigiri's jaw as she made her rhythm more intense.

"Kyouko," she whispered into her ear. She answered with a breathless moan. "I have something to share with you." Kirigiri was getting close. "I'm the one you're looking for. The arsonist." Kirigiri's eyes popped open and a look of disbelief crossed her face right before she came.

Celes cleaned her fingers and removed herself from on top of Kirigiri, who shakily pulled her pants back on. She crossed her legs and smiled cryptically. Kirigiri cautiously observed her. "You left me hints."

"Yes, I did."

"I should have known. No. I did. But I didn't want to." A beat of silence. "Don't tell me you're just using me so I'll keep you from getting caught."

"Don't say that." Celes was legitimately hurt. "I may be the Queen of Liars, but I'm not heartless. I certainly know that when I'm around you." Kirigiri looked conflicted. Celes crossed the space between them to Kirgiri's side of the couch. "How can I prove to you that I am completely and utterly in love, without an ulterior motive?" She wrapped her arms around her. Kirigiri was stiff.

"I don't know." Kirigiri moved to get off the couch, and Celes let her go. "I'm just going to -" She struggled to find a word, and sighed. "I'm so stupid." She left.

Celes sat on the couch and stared blankly ahead with a broken smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for forgetting to update. i'm trash

Kirigiri arrived at the latest fire. She stood in the living room and looked at the singed carpet. The burn was in the shape of a heart. She shook her head. This was so cheesy, in a more dangerous, arsonist way. She had walked out of Celes's house two days ago and hadn't talked to her since, and now the girl was pulling tricks to get her back.

Naegi stood beside her and laughed. "Looks like Mr. Arsonist has a crush, huh? I guess we should have the police investigate any romantic ties this house's family has?"

"Perhaps it's just coincidental that gas was spilled that way," Kirigiri sighed and moved on.

Then the next fire, a lot sooner than usual. More heart-shaped singes all over. And then the fire after that. Oh, god. Kirigiri didn't want to know how she did it, but the front of the house burned in the shape of a huge heart. She sighed with resignation.

 

Celes was in her library reading when the doorbell rang. Her butler entered. "It is Miss Kirigiri."

She tried not to look too surprised or excited as she set her book down. "I'll let her in myself. Thank you."

Celes opened the door to see Kirigiri with her arms crossed. "Do you know how risky it is to be leaving hearts all over the scene of the crime? I'm not the only one who notices them, you know. Now the police are all over investigating relationships of the families. It won't be long until they start investigating the firefighters. Not to mention - how in the flaming hell did you make that huge heart without being seen?!"

"I'm not sure if I was or wasn't seen," Celes admitted. "But you appear nervous about my risk-taking. Does that mean you wouldn't actually  _want_ me to be caught?" She smiled slyly.

Kirigiri looked away and huffed. "I'm just telling you not to be stupid."

"Well, I'm sorry if my stupidity bothers you. Would you like to come in?"

Kirigiri looked at Celes and narrowed her eyes like she was making a difficult decision, before muttering "Fuck it." and pulling Celes towards her into an unrestrained kiss. She pulled away. "You're an arsonist, yeah. And I'm not morally on-board with that, okay? But I do actually… Love you. And in some weird, messed up way, putting out your fires makes me think of you. Like the fire is from you to me. And this relationship we have is weird. But I love it."

Celes laughed and looked at her fondly. "I'm glad you like my presents." They kissed again. She pulled Kirigiri inside and closed the door.

 

Kirigiri looked at the burning building in front of her with a small smile. It was the second fire since Celes and she made up, and she couldn't help but grin at the destructions of property and upheaval of its inhabitant's lives, because it reminded her of her girlfriend. Really cute.

But Kirigiri suddenly became more somber. People had been reporting sightings of a girl in "odd, frilly black clothes" at the scenes to the police. Obviously, it was Celes. Her clothing wasn't very inconspicuous, after all. She had warned Celes earlier about it, but it looked like she went ahead and made a fire anyway.

In the process of doing her job, she moved to the backyard. Celes emerged from the shadowy tree line. She noticed Celes and nearly fell over. "God, what are you doing here?! With the witnesses, this is the last place you should be!"

"Oh, but the risk is so exciting," she chuckled and kissed Kirigiri. "Also, I just set my own home on fire. I thought you should know."

Kirigiri nearly shouted, but looked around and released a sharp whisper instead. " _What?!"_

"I was about to be under investigation. I supposed a fresh start would be called for."

"So you're moving?"

"Going into hiding, really. But yes. Obviously, I own residences in many other areas of the world. Kyouko, would you like to run away with me?"

Kirigiri was shocked at the turn of events. "I-" It was almost silly to think over it. Being with Celes was amazing and exciting, and to be separated from her would be agonizing. And, well, there were fire departments in just about every city, right? It's not like she'd have to give up her work. Really, the little arguments her mind gave were no match for the overwhelming feelings coming from her heart. "Yes."

Celes looked pleased. "I'll be leaving tonight. I'll leave you the details of my whereabouts. I suggest you take about a month to put things into order, resign, and arrange to move in with me."

Kirigiri nodded, put her hand on Celes's cheek, and kissed her. They held each other in a tight hug. As they pulled apart, Celes took off Kirigiri's glove and held her hand to her lips. "Until then," Celes whispered as she disappeared back into the trees.

Kirigiri smiled into the darkness. A month. It would be a long month, waiting to be with Celes. She could hardly wait. But until then… Kirigiri turned to the house. She had a few fires to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now aren't you glad i didn't have anyone burn to death or get hit by a firetruck? :)


End file.
